Rock & Roll: Ohio & New York Style

Friday, 9/10

Cleveland has been the recipient of questionable superlatives.  We're here to tell you that we found that driving through downtown gave us a positive view of an architecturally diverse city, navigable streets that don't contribute to divorce proceedings between driver and sign-reading spouse, and a Lake Erie waterfront filled with special sites.  Those included the Port of Cleveland, the Cleveland Browns Stadium, The Cleveland Science Center, The Great Lakes ore carrier, William Mather (also the name of a fellow Monaco owner friend), and the Rock & Roll Museum ... the latter being our touristy destination for the day.

Downtown Cleveland

Rolling up to the museum, I spotted another coach and told Doris that I would park alongside.  As we turned the corner, one of us (to remain un-named) determined that it would be necessary to drive across the sidewalk and up a few steps to park next to what was Johnny Cash's converted MCI 9 coach, a donation to the museum and parked outside the front door.  After having toured the coach (1982 version costing more than a half-million, with no slide outs, and questionably tasteful decor), I still think we should have parked next to it.  The admission fee to ours and the praise received would have more than paid for the damage to our sidewalk/step ascent to join Mr. Cash's pride & joy.  My navigator still disagrees.

Johnny's home on the road.  Great musician.  But blue velvet seats and no shower?  Eewww!

So ... inside this museum is a sound and sight feast that takes more than the 3 hours recommended.  From before R&R, came gospel, real old (older than me) country music.  Then, debate whether The Beatles or Elvis started this phenomenon, Rock & Roll took roots and we're overwhelmed, literally overwhelmed, by the displays in this museum.  Well worth continuing our delayed schedule, we thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment and the education.

Doris and R&R history.  Special.

It must be time to dine; this Great Lakes ore carrier is still larger than I.

Lunch on board our private Rock Star Bus with sidewalk viewers wondering, "Who's in there?", we then departed eastbound on I-90 for fuel, debugging the windshield and somewhere east of Ohio.  No more tolls, a tip of Pennsylvania, and then into the Empire State ... New York.  Relying on the interstates to make up for time lost, Doris took the wheel for an hour, continuing the development of her chauffeuring expertise.  I found myself not ready to lunge for the wheel, "Jake" brake, service brake and emergency brake.  Instead, I'm sitting at the dining table, answering emails, voice mails and singing a tune, "We're no longer seeing corn & beans.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, America is Beautiful Again.  Yeah!  Yeah!  Yeah!"

But, then there's the interstate system.  Wonderful invention.  Terribly torn up.  I'm amazed this second home has survived over 75,000 miles of this abuse.  Poor Doris.  It's either brain pureeing, or it's navigating between orange cones that turn a freeway into a slalom course made for fast, narrow sports cars as the DOT tries to repair age old highways for today's high volume, high speed traffic.  Doris did a great job.  I took over and the road turned smooth ... for awhile, and then it was my turn to vibrate my eye balls while trying to locate the road.  Talk about Rock & Roll! 

Ultimately, we chose another, expensive resort, Horney, NY's Walmart SuperCenter.  Don't ask how this town got its name, because I'll then have to explain the next town's ... and I can't.

Pulling into the lot, we chuckled when we saw our California licensed coach parked next to one from Maine.  Ha!  We're going to Maine. Are they headed to our coast?  The answer will wait until tomorrow.  We're just happy to be here in central northern NY, free of corn & beans ... and in the beautiful, green, low mountains on a clear, evening. 

The Buckeye State

Thursday, 9/09

We're beginning to think that gremlins are silently but effectively entering our coach.  This morning, we moved from our RV park to a shop next door to have a peek at our front slide.  Seems it needs a very slight adjustment (AKA known as "BIG $$$) so that it moves out at the proper vertical angle.  We'll wait 'til we return to our favorite mechanic, but we did have another, smaller gremlin join the dearly departed for a not so dear contribution to the local economy. 

Late leaving The Hoosier State, we joined the easterly flow of traffic into Ohio.  My God, the tolls kept mounting, right along with the miles.  Fortunately for us, raising the third axle on our coach reduced the fees by about 40%.  Still, we're poorer by $45 to make it from the west side of Chicago to Cleveland.  AND, we had to content ourselves with viewing the reason for the heretofore mumbled "... forever waves of grain" part of "America The Beautiful".  Beautiful she is, but can ya' change the words to "...corn and soybeans"??!  We're patriotic to the bone, but the truth is that's what fills the last 76 states we've traveled, and we're gettin' just a bit eye-glazed with the scenery.  Oh, and how about those grain trucks?!  Patriotic men & women certainly drive them, what with all the flags and "God Bless America" or "America, Love It Or Leave It" paint jobs, stickers, etc. on their rigs.  However, they're more numerous than RV drivers at the Walmart parking lot and they're slowing down on our escape to ANYWHERE BUT CORN & BEAN FIELD, AMERICA!

We (that is, I) am calm now because we made it to Elyria, Ohio, just short of Cleveland.  Too pooped to pop both corn AND beans, I parked at another 5-Star RV Parking/Walmart SuperCenter.  Gotta love 'em because they're friendly, convenient, level, and have "something" we absolutely must have.  Great location next to a 2-year old strip mall with only a nail salon, video game store and a DMV office.  10s of thousands square feet remain dirt floors and bare walls.  Delirious Elyria shows the suffering economy.  We felt guilty under the strong parking lot lights & heavy security cameras protecting us from the less fortunate.  Two other coaches like ours park alongside.  Surely one of them has a 50-caliber machine gun to supplement our security.  We're secure and happy after another of Doris's creative dinners and a long walk.  The Buckeye State continues to be a favorite. 

Tomorrow will solidify the affection.